A Lesson in Physics
by Garnetcorvid
Summary: Pre Grave Danger. During happier times, Nick decides to pursue Mandy Webster hoping for something concrete, but will the other lab techs, like Hodges let him? Nandy Dandy Nick/Mandy pair. M for Language and Sexual Content.
1. Results

Nick walked down the hallway of the lab, or rather he swaggered. Confident and sure as always, head held high, handsome smirk on his handsome face. The case was done and the killer confessed, all he needed now where the prints to confirm what he already knew. He was off to see his favorite lab tech of late, Mandy Webster.

He strolled around the corner and into the dimly lit room where, wouldn't you know, Miss Mandy was sitting in front of her computer all alone.

"Knock knock," he said without actually knocking.

He figured she would jump and say "oh Nick you startled me" and then he would laugh and then they would begin their game that they played every time he came to get "results".

But she didn't.

Calmly Mandy tore her eyes away from the computer and looked at Nick with, was it, disappointment?

"Hey Nick, I, have your results."

He didn't like her tone, either he said something wrong or, he wasn't going to like what she had to tell him.

"Don't tell me they aren't a match." He said, all the lightheartedness had left his voice.

She nodded confirming his fear. God he was sick of this case and he wanted it over with! Why couldn't things just be what they seemed for once, was it so much to ask?

"I'm sorry Nick, they don't match his at all, the prints belong to an unknown female, please don't shoot the messenger." She said with a smile on her bright round face.

He couldn't be mad at her if he wanted to. She was like a beam of sunshine! At least she seemed to light up like one when he walked in a room. Of course he did too, but no one would ever really know because the moments when Nick didn't smile that big beautiful smile were rare.

"It's no problem; you know I still love you." He said, laying the charm on thick. She blushed. He was going to ask her a question anyway regardless of the fingerprint results, and he wanted her nice and compliant.

"Would you be opposed to sharing your company with me after shift?"

Her face dropped. Hodges had told her this was coming. He'd said that he could sense it for days now, and that Mandy should say no because it would only lead to trouble. But what did he know? He was probably only saying that to keep Nick away from her anyway.

"I mean, if it's not a problem, if it's ok with you, I wouldn't want to put you in a situation." Nick began to stammer. Mr. Smooth Talker was tripping over his words.

"No, no it's fine! I would, love to! I mean, not love to but, it would be nice, I'd, I'd really like that Nick." She smiled. Her smile was just as bright as his.

With that Nick grinned from ear to ear. He then swiftly turned away and ran smack into the side of the door frame. Mandy stifled a laugh. Looking back to see if Mandy had see his little blunder he turned rose red, but she pretended not to have been looking. He gained his composure, stepped to the side, and just as he rounded the corner she called after him.

"Nick you left your results!"

A moment later he was back in the room, blushing like a 12 year old boy. He gently took the folder from Mandy, smiled at her, then turned around to leave again. This time he was mindful off the door frame.

Mandy giggled openly now. How was it that she, a geeky lab rat had ruffled Nick Stokes' feathers? She didn't know, but she liked it.

All the while David Hodges was surveying the scene from across the hall, sporting an all but happy face, and cursing a little under his breath.


	2. Peep Show

"What was that all about?" Hodges asked, sliding up next to Mandy in the print lab.

"Shouldn't you be processing something?" she chided, annoyance fresh on her voice.

She knew it was coming, she had seen him watching them out of the corner of her eye. The twenty-one questions, the who, what, where, when and most importantly why.

"I am, my evidence is doing its thing in the machine while I'm over here getting the info on that farce of a scene I just had the displeasure to witness," he was uncomfortably close, "although when he ran into that door…" he smiled and stifled a giggle.

"Holy crap! Why does it matter to you so much? I thought you were my friend David, why don't you want me to be happy?"

He looked stunned.

"I'm not trying to make you, _unhappy_, I am your friend, and as such it's my duty to look out for you and warn you _again_ that this will come to no good."

Finally she looked up from her magnifying glass and glared at him.

"What's your problem with Nick anyway? What has he ever done to you?"

He looked up, thinking hard as if trying to find something, no matter how miniscule, that Nick had done to wrong him. He had nothing.

"It's not so much as what he's done to me per say, it's more like what he's done to other women. Or so I've heard."

She stared at him in disbelief. Was he serious?

"Hearsay, that's all you have is hearsay?" her brow furrowed. Mandy didn't usually pull out the angry face, but by god this was as good a time as any, "you're a scientist Hodges, use your head to find some real evidence, something more concrete that "_convicts_" Nick of doing anything more than forgetting to call a girl back once in a while and I'll actually grant you an audience. Until then, get out of my lab!"

She said the last part with a slight shout, causing some of the other techs to look up from their work.

Hodges looked wounded. He didn't really have any "_real_" proof. His proof was in his gut. Nick may be a nice guy, but he knew deep down that he was going to hurt Mandy, he didn't really know how, but he knew it was going to happen. And unlike some of the other girls Nick may have dabbled with, Mandy was still gonna be here the next day, he couldn't just "_forget_" to call her back. Mandy was sweet and caring, smart and funny, she wasn't the kind of girl you test run, she was a keeper. It was going to end in tears, and he had to find some way to stop it before it started.

--

Nick was excited. He had finally gotten the nerve up to ask her for her company outside of the lab. It was going to be interesting to say the least. Their "_relationship_" inside the lab always had distractions, there was a mountain of small talk that could be had, and they used work to communicate with each other, results being an excuse to see one another. But outside, it was just them, nothing more; they had to actually carry on a conversation that meant something. Nick was great at those, but, with Mandy, the beautiful, shy, smart and funny lab tech, it would be a whole other animal entirely.

He was standing in front of his locker in snugly fitting blue jeans and a white cotton tank top, trying to decide what shirt to wear, blue striped button up, or white? He decided at that moment that he needed to go shopping. His wardrobe selections were becoming scarce.

He heard it then. It was a shuffling noise and then a soft humming. _Sara_, he thought. He decided that the shirt could wait, he hadn't spoken to her all day, so he was gonna say hey and shoot the shit for a moment.

He rounded the corner and spoke "Hey Sara I…" he trailed off as his jaw dropped.

There before him was Mandy wearing nothing but unbuttoned blue jeans, a bra and a mortified look on her round face. Immediately Nick turned on his heel and around the lockers. Once he was out of eyesight he promptly began to apologize.

"Mandy I'm sorry I, I didn't know it was you, I, I should have called out first I mean, it's not like me to just walk up on someone, I thought you were Sara, not that I'm use to seeing Sara partially clothed but, I just…" he was stammering.

Mandy's cheeks flushed with color, she was glad that he had decided to turn away, she couldn't tell what was more embarrassing, the fact that he heard her humming, or the fact that she was standing there partially clothed in her underwear with her mouth open to catch flies, or the fact that she was turning shades of red that she didn't know existed.

She cut him off before he dug his grave any deeper. "Nick," she said, trying to sound nonchalant, "it's ok, I mean, it's nothing that you wouldn't see if I were wearing a bathing suit."

Relief washed over him. He was so glad that she was mellow about the whole thing. She did have a point about the bathing suit, but, most of the ones he saw weren't made of 90 percent see through hot pink lace, with matching panties that he had "mistakenly" caught a glimpse of.

"As long as we're still on for tonight I don't care what you wear." He said from behind the lockers with a Cheshire grin on his handsome face.

He could hear her laugh.

"At least let me put a shirt on."

She quickly found a simple purple baby doll tee and let her hair down out of the bun she wore that was causing her to contract a headache. Feeling as though she was decent enough she rounded the corner toward him this time, but ever so quietly.

She peeked around the corner and saw him standing in front of his locker now, shirtless. This time all the color drained from her face. He was unbuttoning a white collared shirt, and with every button, all the muscles in his arms and back seemed to flex across his broad shoulders and lightly tanned skin. She had to jerk her gaze away from him and lean up against a locker, trying to stay quiet. She didn't want to spy on him, but she figured a look for a look. She smiled. Nick shirtless was much more impressive in real life than the one in her head.

Nick finally slid his shirt on and as he fastened the last button, he smirked. He hoped she'd liked that mini peek he allowed her. He hoped even more that she might get the whole show at some later date.


	3. Sweet and Spicy

It wasn't as formal as Nick would have liked. They both worked night shift and were lucky to get off a bit early, so there wasn't a whole lot they could do. Nick decided food was definitely in order, and he knew of a nice enough place that was open 24/7. It was a step below classy, but one above a dive.

They drove in silence mostly, but the tension in the air was speaking volumes. Nick tried to act like he was concentrating on the road, but his thoughts kept landing on her lacy undergarments. _Not very gentlemanly of you_, he would scold himself.

The Eagles' "_I can't tell you why_" was playing softly. Nick liked his country, but he couldn't live without his classic rock. Mandy broke the silence around the middle of the song, not being able to hold it back any longer, she had to sing along.

"Every time I try to walk away, something makes me turn around and stay." She was nodding her head to the beat, singing softly.

Nick turned to look at her with a smirk on his face. She blushed and stopped singing.

"No, no," Nick said, "keep singing, it's nice."

She smiled bashfully.

"I usually don't sing around other people, it's just so quiet in here, and I really love the Eagles."

"Who doesn't?" he said back. He finally felt like he could breathe.

"I know right?" she agreed. She felt a little less embarrassed now. She needed to just relax, after all it was Nick, and he was the easiest going guy she knew.

They pulled up around a dark corner and behind a row of side by side brick buildings. The area was absent of a street light, she checked her watch; it was four in the morning. Nick opened his door and the dome light came on, momentarily blinding her, then the door shut and before she could adjust her eyes it popped on again. Nick was standing on her side of the car holding the door open for her. She smiled, was he always this chivalrous? She took his outstretched hand and slid down out of the Chevy.

"Where are we?" she said, trying to survey their surroundings.

"Don't worry, I know it looks shady but it's a great place." He replied, trying to ease her mind.

The place was called The Buckett Shoppe; it was just as brick on the inside as it was on the out. Booths lined the walls lit by dim yellow lights under artsy looking hanging glass lamp shades. A young blonde girl in a black t-shirt and black pants greeted them from behind a wooden podium.

"Welcome to The Buckett Shoppe," she said in a sappy sweet voice, addressing Nick and Nick alone. Mandy noticed it, but held her tongue; she supposed Nick got that kind of treatment a lot.

"Hi there," he said in his nicest Texan accent, she was sure he laid it on most the pretty young girls and suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. It was squelched swiftly when Nick wrapped a possessive arm around Mandy's waist and pulled her close to him. The girl responded with a stone face and then promptly escorted them to a booth. Mandy felt giddy almost. No one had ever laid claim to her like that, she worked hard to stifle a goofy smile.

It felt good, going somewhere after work instead of heading home, alone, and then sinking into her couch with her cats Mingo and Ponda, watching Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time. She was out in the world and with none other than Nick Stokes on her arm, or rather she on his. He was right, she thought, this place was nice, and it was cozy and calming. A woman was singing something slow and sensual over the speakers. It seemed like the type of place that would hold poetry readings on Thursdays, totally not some place she would find Nick Stokes, she was learning a lot about the man, and she liked her lesson.

"I'll have sweet tea," Mandy said to their waitress, Nick looked at Mandy surprised.

"I'll have the same," he smiled.

They chatted easily over dinner or breakfast rather. They talked about all sorts of things, their families, music, he discovered that she watched just as much Animal Planet as he did, and throughout the whole meal they never once brought up work, which was what Nick was afraid they would do. Mandy was witty, funny, and most beautiful when she laughed her rich genuine laugh. She wasn't afraid to finish her plate like most of his dates seemed to be; she actually ordered food instead of a salad that ended up being pushed around a plate. It was novel being able to pay for something that was being eaten for once. She was a smart ass he was learning, and she wasn't afraid to be a little crude once in a while.

She was real. She glowed; her features were soft and naturally beautiful. She wasn't plastic, she didn't have painted on features, her smile was bright but not because she had bleached teeth. She made sense in her own way; they had a lot in common. Nick felt like he could breathe around her, like he didn't have to live up to some standard, he felt normal. He felt something that he couldn't describe, he'd never felt it before, he couldn't put his finger on it. Whatever it was, he didn't want it to end. But after glancing at his watch and seeing that it was six o'clock, he knew it would have to be the end, at least for this day. They both had to work tomorrow.

Reluctantly Nick sighed. Mandy knew it was about that time. She hated it because she was having so much fun. She felt she had someone to relate to for once, someone who knew where she was coming from, someone on her same wave length. She didn't want their time together to end. But they both had to work, and she really needed to feed her cats. She laughed to herself, _definitely don't tell him that_, she thought. Nick motioned for the check, the waitress brought it to him and he paid, then they both slid out of the booth and headed for the door.

The windows had been tinted in the restaurant; they both had to squint a little though the sun had not quite risen fully. They walked around the side of the building to Nick's car. He opened her door for her and she climbed up into the seat. A moment later Nick was strapping on his seat belt and they were moving.

"Wow, I haven't had that much fun in, ages," she said. She felt a little high. The change in her daily pace seemed to wake her up.

"Join the club, I don't think I've laughed that much in ages either," he said, all the while sporting his charming smile.

Mandy loved that smile, she could get lost in it she figured. Nick stole glances at her as he drove. She had a listless expression on her face, as if there wasn't a care in the world. Her molasses brown hair fell over her shoulders, the early morning light catching natural honey highlights that seemed to frame her face in a glow. He wanted to run his fingers through that silky hair. _All in due time_, he told himself. They pulled back into the lab parking lot. It was then that Mandy's face seemed to revert back to her stoic expression. He was feeling the same way she looked. But he took solace in the fact that if it had anything to do with it, this would not be the last time they saw each other outside of the lab.

He opened her door yet again; she would never get tired of it she figured. He then followed her around his truck to her car, all the while his hand rested on the small of her back. She was painfully aware of his touch, however light. It seemed to be burning her skin. She turned to face him when they reached her door.

She could feel the heat coming off him in waves. His once playful expression seemed to turn hungry; she didn't know how to respond. _This is it_, she thought, she didn't know what to do with herself. Her eyes searched his. _Was he going to kiss her_?_ What would she do_? She wasn't very skilled in that department; she desperately didn't want to blow it all on a lousy kiss. He could see the panic in her eyes as he leaned into her, the distance between them closing rapidly. He paused right before their lips touched; he decided it was too soon. Then without breaking eye contact with her, he grasped her soft hand in his rough one and brought it up to his mouth.

She had braced herself, but he stopped right before they touched and she thought she would die right then. The pressure was too much. His lips seemed delicious, she knew somehow that he would taste spicy and sweet at the same time, but she wouldn't find out today. Without looking away from her he touched the back of her hand with those soft lips and kissed her. _Was this for real_!? He kissed her hand. He was becoming more and more unreal every moment she spent with him.

"I'll see you tonight Mandy," he said deep and soft. His dark brown eyes seemed to consume her. Then he let go of her hand and turned away. He left her there still holding her hand in front of her face, stunned. He smiled to himself,_ job well done_, he thought. But while he was "_toying_" with her, he felt the torture just as hard. _ Hard was a good way to put it_, he chided himself.

She wasn't sure when he had left; because when she finally snapped out of her trance his truck was gone. She then realized that besides feeding her cats when she got home, she had to take a long hot shower to dampen the raging fire that he left burning in her stomach.


	4. Rally the Troops

Hodges couldn't concentrate. The whole time Mandy was out with Nick he had been messing up little things here and there, Grissom gave him the "_I'm not impressed_" look more than once. It was driving him crazy. He had to rally some people to his cause he figured. Other lab techs who felt the same way he did about the situation. But it would be a hard thing to do since every female in the lab was moony eyed over Nick Stokes and every guy wanted to be him. Greg would be of absolutely no help, in fact, he was sure that if Greg Sanders got wind of what he was thinking up, that he would work against him rather than just stay neutral. He decided to keep him far out of the loop.

Hodges wasn't in love with Mandy, he just cared for her, and like Hodges always did, he decided to take matters into his own hands and make her see how valuable his opinion was. He would have to start with someone who was in love with her, or at the least, fancied her above normal. It was time to pay Bobby Dawson a visit. He was sure that in light of the recent events, i.e. Mandy and Nick on a date, that Bobby would change his comrade like views of Nick and join his cause in keeping him away from the down to earth fingerprint analyst.

--

"Firing two!" Bobby Dawson shouted before pulling the trigger twice on a 9mm Beretta.

Hodges jumped even though he had earmuffs on. Bobby looked over his shoulder at him and smiled his boyish grin.

"Hey Hodges, what's the occasion?" Bobby was now taking the clip out of the gun.

"Hey Dawson," Hodges screamed, forgetting his ears were covered, he then removed the blue muffs and set them aside, "I was hoping I could chat with you for a moment." He continued in a quieter tone.

Bobby set the gun down and pulled his muffs off letting them rest around his neck.

"Well sure, what can I do you for?" Bobby responded in his charming southern accent.

_Was the guy ever not happy_? Hodges thought to himself, _he was about to be_.

"It's about Mandy," Hodges decided to get right down to business.

Bobby's face lit up even more if it were possible.

"Oh really? What about her? How's she doing?" He asked. _He was such a sap_, Hodges thought.

"Maybe you could ask Nick Stokes." Hodges replied, getting the response he was hoping for.

Bobby's smile faded into a look of confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked. Hodges didn't feel that Bobby was following, so he decided to clue him in a little more directly.

"They went on a date, Nick asked her earlier this evening and they've been gone for about an hour and a half now."

The confused look on Bobby's face turned into a blank one, he had stopped right as he was about to fish the bullets out of the water tank.

"Nick Stokes?" Bobby asked in disbelief.

Hodges nodded. All was going well so far.

"Well, why are you tellin' me?" he tried to act like it didn't bother him, "I mean, it's none of my concern what Mandy does, besides, Nick is a good guy, I'm sure it's fine." He tried to smile, but this time his smile was visibly forced, Hodges knew he had struck a nerve.

"Bobby, I'd like to think that since I was moved here that you and I have become somewhat like friends, and being the perceptive person I am, I've noticed that you "_fancy_" if you will, Miss Webster, I just figured that you should know from such a friend as I before you found out in a more unpleasant way."

Bobby stood there stunned. He didn't know what to say. Nick was his friend, or so he thought, they were both country boys, and he felt that they had sort of a bond. But he also knew, or at least _knew of_ Nick's track record with the ladies. His relationships never seemed to work out very well, some of them he heard about from Nick himself.

"Well what am I supposed to do about it? I can't compete with that. Besides, I have no claim on her." Bobby looked at Hodges with distress written on his face.

"I've already spoken to her about the "_dangers_" of getting involved with him, but she seems to think that I'm just trying to keep her from being happy. I just want her to see that I'm not the only person who thinks that this whole thing won't end well. I figure if you talk to her about it, maybe voice your opinion on the matter, she may see that we care. She respects your opinion doesn't she?" Hodges asked, trying to coax an answer from him.

"I'd like to think so," Bobby replied, sounding not too sure.

"Well, I don't see why it won't work!" Hodges said in triumph.

Bobby nodded, although he still didn't seem too sure. He agreed that he would try to bring up the subject with Mandy, but he also told Hodges that the moment she seemed like she didn't want to talk about it that he would leave it alone for good. He wanted Mandy to be happy, albeit he would rather Mandy be happy with him.

Hodges knew that Bobby wasn't one for confrontations, hell, besides Nick, Bobby was the nicest guy he knew, but he didn't have many choices. Only once did Hodges think that maybe Nick and Mandy might work out. Maybe they might be perfect for one another. But that thought didn't last long, Hodges was determined that Nick would hurt her. He was one of them after all. No matter how nice he was, he was still a CSI, and to Hodges and most of the other lab techs, that meant he came from a totally different planet.


	5. May the Better Man Win

It was pouring outside. Mandy decided that an hour without anyone bringing her any new prints constituted a break. She hadn't seen much of Nick again today. She didn't know if she should be offended or not, he was a busy guy after all. Maybe his cases didn't have any fingerprints for her to analysis. She spent most of the early evening catching things up; for once it seemed like a really slow day in the lab, unbearably so.

Enough was enough she decided, and she put up her little homemade "_back in 10_" sign on the lab door. She got her jacket from the locker room. She hadn't looked at the locker room the same way since that day she and Nick had their _run in_. She smiled at the thought. She then slipped out the back door and dashed to her car. She needed some non-lab air. Quickly she slid into her car and closed the door, shaking her head letting the water shake off of her hair. She took a deep breath and sighed.

_How long had it been_? _About three days_? Yes it had been that long since she and Nick when on the best date of her life. But since then she hadn't spoken to him, she only saw him pass by the print lab a handful of times. None of those times had he looked at her.

_Maybe he's playing hard to get_? She thought to herself, _maybe he really is just busy, it is job before life in this business after all_. She sighed again. She was quickly becoming a nervous wreck where Nick Stokes was concerned. The things his presence did to her were unspeakable. All the hairs on her body stood on end, her face flushed, a wave of heat washed over her. Even if her mind didn't want him, _and it did_, her body sure as hell did.

_How do I get myself into these situations_? She seemed to be asking herself that question a lot lately. The rain was beating down hard on her car now. She looked around, she saw no one outside, of course they were all smart and staying dry. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to empty all the frustrating thoughts of Nick from her head. She was sure he'd come around sooner or later, he couldn't avoid her forever if that was indeed what he was doing. She suddenly couldn't bear that thought. The thought that Nick would avoid her. She'd replayed their conversations over and over and could find nothing she said or did that might have turned him off from her. And even if she had, he certainly hadn't acted like it when he'd walked her to her car that morning.

Her attempts at keeping him from her thoughts were failing miserably. She looked at her watch and decided her time was up. What had been an effort to clear her mind hadn't worked a bit. She still felt as frustrated and confused if not more so than she had when she came outside. The rain was lightly tapping on the metal roof of her car now. She decided to seize the chance to get inside partially dry while she could.

She swiftly exited her car, shut and locked the door behind her and then headed inside the way she came, through the back. She used that door so she could come and go without being noticed. So far it had worked; she liked to stay under the radar, never the topic of conversations, just demure and quiet. But apparently this time someone did notice. Bobby Dawson was leaning against the wall next to the door when she came in, waiting on her with a charming warm smile.

--

"Hey Mandy, did you have a good break?" he asked sweetly in that southern drawl of his.

That was one thing about Bobby you could bank on. He asked questions because he really wanted to know the answers. He didn't ask things like, "_how've you been_" or "_how's yer mom_" just for the politeness of it, he really wanted to know. He was very genuine in his kindness. He never had any ulterior motives, he wasn't sly, and his charm was pure and natural to him. And for that Mandy always made a point on answering his inquiries truthfully.

"I guess, I mean, it was a nice breath of air and the rain was kind of refreshing, but, you know." She said with a smile shedding her coat and taking her hair down to let it air dry a bit before she brushed it back up again.

"I know what ya mean, not quite what you were lookin' for." He spoke as he trailed behind her on her way to the locker room.

"Listen," he changed his tone, "I'd like to talk with you for a moment if you don't mind, I'll wait for you in yer lab if yer not busy?" He asked.

She wondered what it was he could have to talk with her about. Besides causal everyday conversation, she and Bobby didn't really say a lot to one another. She'd known him for a few years now but, they hadn't the time usually. She supposed it couldn't hurt and she really wasn't busy as far as she knew, so she agreed.

"Ok then," he said, his face lighting up, "see ya in a few."

With that he split off from her to wait in the print lab while she assessed her appearance and put her coat up.

A moment later she entered the lab. He was fiddling with a stapler while leaning back in one of the roller chairs. He was wearing a burgundy button up shirt tucked into snugly fitting blue jeans that gathered around tan Timberland work boots all under a white lab coat. His hair was a mess of blond curls around his handsome tanned face. She thought that he seemed downright huggable.

His gaze jerked up from the stapler as she entered the room. She thought for a moment that he had just given her a quick once over, but she put it out of her mind.

"So Bobby, what was it you wanted to talk about?" she asked getting right to the point.

"Not much, just figured I haven't had a chance to really talk to ya and guessed now was as good a time as any. I ain't had a thing from the team for the better part of the evening, and boy do I _not_ wanna talk to Hodges." He laughed.

She laughed with him. She could relate. Hodges was becoming a bit too much for her nowadays.

She sat in her own roller chair across from him.

"Yeah, he's been bugging me major these days." She said. She figured it wouldn't hurt to have someone to talk to that didn't have a hidden agenda.

"Really? What about if you don't mind me asking'." He asked, tilting his head to the side and waiting for an answer.

She hesitated, she couldn't tell if he had noticed or not. She didn't know what to say really, she couldn't just very well blurt out the situation with her and Nick, though here lately there didn't seem to be one.

"Ah you know, just, Hodges stuff, being nosy, the usual." She hoped he bought it.

Bobby nodded.

"Yeah he's been buggin' me a lot lately as well; he came around asking what I thought of Nick Stokes the other day, I thought that was strange." He said.

At the mention of his name Mandy seemed to go ridged. Again she hoped he didn't notice.

"He did?" her voice cracked a little. She couldn't believe Hodges would go so far as to involve other lab techs. She could only hope that he left her out of his conversation with Bobby.

"Yeah, he was asking me what I thought about him and I told him." He said, not actually saying what he told Hodges.

"What'd you say? If you don't mind me asking." She was interested in knowing what Bobby thought of Nick as well. He was the kind of person whose opinion mattered.

"Well I said I thought he was one of the nicest guys I'd ever met."

Mandy was staring at him intently now, urging him on.

"I said that I felt a kind of bond with him, us both being southern boys and all," he smiled, "I told him that about the only thing I could possibly find wrong with him was his track record with the ladies."

Mandy's heart sank a little. Hodges hadn't been the only one to notice that aspect of Nick.

"But ya know, you can't really blame it all on him, he's got rotten luck, I think he needs to start fishing in a different pond myself, the ones he seems to pick use his heart for a hacky sac."

With his last statement Mandy felt slightly relived. Unlike Hodges, Bobby seemed to see a little deeper. He saw that Nick wasn't just some Casanova running around breaking hearts, he was just human. He couldn't help it his relationships never worked out. But she desperately hoped that theirs would, if there was one.

Bobby smiled. "You seem happy now." He said. She was almost beaming.

"I'm just glad that you think that Bobby." She said.

They both smiled.

"Speak of the devil." Bobby exclaimed.

Just then Nick appeared in the print lab doorway.

"Oh really?" Nick said with a wide smile.

"We were just talkin' about you Nick." Bobby said with a smile almost as big.

"Well I hope it was all good." Nick replied, turning his gaze to Mandy. And like clockwork her face flushed with color.

"Of course," Bobby said, "well I'll leave ya'll to yer work, I'm pretty sure I've got some bullets need firing." He said as he rose from the chair and moved toward the door.

"I'll be bringing you some work in a sec don't worry." Nick said to Bobby. He gave him a pat on the shoulder as Bobby left the room.

There was a moment of silence as they stared at one another.

"Hey," Mandy said as Bobby walked down the hall.

"Hey," Nick said back, "hope you didn't think I forgot about you." He smiled. How could she have ever thought he would?

All the doubt she had been feeling melted away.

--

As much as it pained him, Bobby told Mandy the truth about his thoughts on Nick. He just didn't see him the same way Hodges seemed to. And even though he thought Mandy was the most beautiful woman in the world, even though he lived for her smiles, even though her voice made his day a little brighter, he'd always been a "_may the better man win_" kind of guy. He couldn't compete with Nick Stokes and he knew it. And as he heard their voices floating down the hallway on his way back to the ballistics lab, his heart sank as he smiled.


	6. Lust and Wrath

Mandy didn't have much experience in these sorts of games, the ones that Nick liked to play. She wasn't coy, she didn't know how to play hard to get, and she certainly didn't consider herself a tease. She felt out of her element sometimes when she was around Nick Stokes. She couldn't control her body's reactions to him every time he entered a room. Not like he could. He was a stone pro. When her eyes fell on him her face turned shades of red that Crayola would be ashamed of, her speech suffered, her eyes betrayed her, and she turned into a lovesick 12th grader.

He knew what he was doing to her. He knew the uncontrolled reaction her body had when he "_accidentally_" grazed her shoulder with his, or when his hand would brush against hers. The man was down right wicked. And she loved every torturous moment of it.

It was exciting, the way her hair would stand on end, the look he would give her in a room full of people that would make her want to run to the bathroom and check to see if she had to change her underwear again. She was sure that no other woman's body did this to them, she was positive that it was her profound lack of this type of behavior that made her reactions so vividly intense, and often times wet.

Just such a moment was happening right now.

"So, Ms. Webster," he had begun to call her that around the other CSI's, why she didn't know, but it did something to her, just like every sweet word out of his mouth did, "what you are saying is that the fingerprint I gave you belongs to a dead man?"

Nick was inquiring about the latest "_most urgent_" print he'd given her. Catherine was standing right next to him, so Mandy tried her damnedest to keep it under wraps.

"Unfortunately," she replied, trying to keep her eyes on his, and not on other parts of his body that she would love to see, and yet hadn't, unclothed.

"He's been dead for a few years now actually, prints usually don't have much of a shelf life after that long if they were found on the object in question the way you found it. I'd say it was planted, but, that's just my opinion." Mandy tried to focus on her words, figuring that the more she spoke the less she would think; thinking lead to mind-wandering, and that was never good for her these days.

"Wow," Catherine said, "ya know that would make a lot of sense seeing how we've never found a print at the other scenes in this case. The perp probably thinks that because we've had nothing so far that we'd eat that print up like no tomorrow. We should be careful Nicky." Catharine stated looking up at her dark haired partner.

"Why's that?" Nick inquired, his voice smooth as always. Mandy didn't know how he kept his cool so well, the heat that was shared between them was made mutually loud and clear by Nick, but the control he had over it was astonishing. It drove her even crazier.

"Well, maybe the perp planted it to lead us off course; maybe they put it there because they messed something else up and they want us going in another direction far from the real evidence. I mean, don't get me wrong, we are gonna follow this print however far it may take us, but we need to stay focused on the other aspects of the case." Catherine was so brilliant Mandy thought. Out of all the female CSI's Mandy had worked with, she had to say she liked her the most.

"Yeah, you're right Cath, man does that bite, I was really excited about that print too, I guess we'll have to put that on ice." He spoke to Catherine, but his eyes were on Mandy the entire time.

"I know, I was excited too, but you know what Grissom would say."

Nick smiled, Mandy melted inside.

"He'd probably say what you already have, you're starting to sound like him." Nick said as he laughed.

Catherine gave him a look, but she smirked as well.

"Well, anyhow, thanks Mandy, Nick let's get going."

Nick kept his eyes on Mandy.

"Yeah I hear ya, lemme catch up to ya, I'm going to get these prints filed away right quick before I forget."

Catherine nodded and left the print lab.

They stood for a moment staring at one another. Lightening bolts of tension crackled between them. It was almost unbearable for her to stand there in silence, still and unwavering. She felt a lot like a gazelle in the Sahara, trying to stay as still as she could while the lion waited poised in the yellow grass, waiting to pounce.

Just when she was about to open her mouth to speak, his hand reached up to her face and his long rough fingers wrapped around the back of her neck. Swiftly he backed her up, maneuvering around her main desk and abruptly against a wall hidden snuggly behind a large book case. Before she could register what was happening he was pressed against her tightly. She couldn't breathe. All the air had left her lungs and she felt like her legs were made of water. She figured that he could tell because he brought his other arm up and snaked it around her waist to support her.

He was so close, very close, she hadn't been this close to him since her car, but even then this felt closer, more intimate. Her eye lids felt heavy, lips were parted; arms felt heavy, she was losing the battle with her composure that she honestly didn't want to win any longer. It had been the most frustrating week in her life she figured, almost to the point of exhaustion.

"I've wanted to touch you like this since the moment I laid eyes on you." He said with a voice deep, hushed and harsh. She let out was sounded like a tiny squeak.

"You don't know how hard it is for me to keep my hands off of you around here, how hot you make me burn." He hissed now with his mouth next to her ear, she felt as if she would die.

Was this for real? Was this really happening? She knew now for certain that he felt the way she did, she laughed to herself, his skills of control were being put to the test as badly as hers. But it seemed he wasn't winning either.

Her fingers found their way into his soft black hair, his hand on her face trailed down to her shoulder, then slowly down her torso, and finally rested on her rounded hip.

His body was hard, unbelievably so. She could feel every rock hard inch of him against her softer more vulnerable frame. She had made the mistake of wearing a skirt today, she usually didn't wear them much, but it seemed fate had a plan for that poor gray skirt that didn't stand a chance against Nick Stokes.

His hands moved across her body as if he knew every inch of her already. One hand slid down her back to her ass where his fingers splayed then squeezed possessively. She pursed her lips tightly to keep from making noise. The other seemed to have a more devious path to travel. His large right hand slid down her side and came to a halt at the hem of her skirt. Her eyes were barely open now, her head tilted back against the wall. Pure pleasure was written across her soft features. Slowly his fingers snaked under her skirt line and drew the material up over her pale thigh where they rested just above her panty line.

Her eyes flew open, and he was staring straight at her now, intensely gazing into her, searching for approval.

She shook her head no. This was not the time or place, as much as she craved it with every fiber of her being.

"Please Mandy," he pleaded with his words as well as those endless dark eyes, "I want to feel you, just once, please, I need to feel you." He sounded desperate, as desperate as she felt for him to slide his long slender fingers inside her warmth and bury them there.

"Oh God Nick, I want you to," she gritted her teeth, "just not like this." She pleaded with him in return. He would understand, he had to.

Slowly he removed his fingers from her fevered skin where moments before they were tracing circles, and let her skirt fall back to her knees.

Now bringing both hands up to her face he ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip.

"Then at least allow me this." He said, voice still deep, but less terse.

He leaned into her, just like he had that morning at her car, only this time she knew he would finish what he started.

He displayed absolute dexterity as he grazed his lips against hers as painfully and unwaveringly slow as he could. Her body was on fire, she arched into him, her fingers spread across his shoulder blades.

Finally, in one deft motion he pressed his mouth against hers. Their bodies melded together as their mouths delved into one another. His lips parted and he licked her swollen bottom lip. Their tongues met as they deepened their kiss. Her mind was buzzing, her skin crawling, and suddenly it felt like it was 110 degrees in the print lab.

She had been right; he tasted spicy, and sweet, like some fruit that had yet to be discovered. His scent filled her nose, she began to kiss him more fervently now, and he followed right in her path. Their mouths tasted and explored one another for what seemed like years, but would later seem a moment entirely too short lived. She moaned into his mouth as he claimed hers. The moans fueled him farther as they began to grind against one another now, her clinging to him for dear life, him pressing her against the wall with an alarming pressure.

This time it was Nick who showed restraint. Abruptly he broke free from their embrace and stepped a few feet backwards. Mandy leaned against the wall for support, feeling more like a puddle than before.

"Christ woman." he said exasperated, his strong jaw clenched. His face was red and flushed, he took a deep breath and let it out while smoothing his hair and straightening himself. He had to tuck his shirt back into his pants; somewhere along the way it had been uprooted.

Mandy tried her best to stand up straight and compose her breathing. She ran her fingers through her hair and tugged at the hem of her skirt.

Finally after they took the time to straighten themselves grinning like children, they took a long hard look at one another.

"Ahem, when's your next day off?" he asked, sounding like his usual self again.

"Tomorrow." She said, trying to sound just as calm as he did. She wanted him to think she cold be just as cool and collected as he was. She figured if he could do it then she could.

He nodded with a calculating expression.

"Well, I think that we can get through the night can't we? I mean, it's doable." He said.

_No, you are_, she thought, quickly scolding herself.

"Of course," she answered, "we're both adults." She finished with a matter of fact tone.

He cracked finally and smiled, not being able to maintain the serious persona he was trying to portray only moments after such an intimate display.

She smiled back, giggling slightly.

"I'll call you tomorrow at noon, how does that sound?" he asked, still smiling.

"Sounds like a plan," she said. Her heart leapt. She couldn't begin to imagine what he had in store for her. The Nick she had imagined for so long was paling dimly in comparison to the real thing, as much as she craved to, she couldn't try to imagine what is was going to be like when he really unleashed.

Without another word Nick turned and headed for the lab door, swiftly picking up the print report from her desk and then disappearing around the corner. Mandy let out a loud sigh. She didn't know if she could handle this, but she was going to damn sure try. She smiled bigger than she ever had, putting her finger tips to her lips as if trying to feel him there. She finally sat down to give her legs a break and then laughed lightly to herself. She was happier than she had been in quite some time. She didn't want the butterflies to go away.

--

Hodge's was standing in a lab adjacent to the print lab. His mouth had been open for the better part of ten minutes now. He didn't know how to process the scene that was playing out before him. Emotions that he didn't know he had were surfacing and then being dragged down in the undertow of new ones. Shock was first, he had turned around just in time to see Nick practically slam Mandy against the corner wall and all the color drained from his face before it returned again with a vengeance. Embarrassment the second, that he was seeing one of his colleagues in such a provocative situation with another one of his coworkers. Then bitter disgusts at the display of completely grotesque wantonness from Mandy, he had always thought of her as someone who showed reserve and respect for herself, only to be throwing herself at that Neanderthal's feet. Then anger washed over him, anger that he was being so completely ignored, that despite his intelligence Mandy decided to disregard everything he had said to her, and she chose instead to toss herself about the rocks of the surf that was this sordid thing she had with Nick. And last but not least, hatred.

If looks could kill Hodges' stare would have lit Nick Stokes on fire as he strode arrogantly out of the print lab. He had always told himself that his interest in Nick and Mandy was strictly for Mandy's welfare, but upon seeing such an explicit display, he discovered that he was jealous. He didn't really know why, Nick was clearly not as intelligent as Hodges, and after all Mandy did prefer that right?

He didn't know what he was doing anymore, or what to feel. He had gone through so many feelings in that short time during the tryst he had the displeasure to witness that he didn't want to think at the moment. He needed some solid time to clear his head and think of something that would stop this. He had an idea playing around in his mind, but he needed to perfect it, needed to shape it so that all outcomes would be good. Most of all he needed a way to execute said plan so that Mandy didn't hate him in the end. Finally after Mandy sat down in her chair in the lab, Hodges turned from the glass window of the lab he was in and sat down as well. He swallowed the contempt that was rising in his throat and began to formulate.

_It had to be perfect_, he thought, _absolutely perfect_.


	7. Phone Tag

She caught herself staring at her phone. She was trying to remember the old adage, "_A watched clock never moves_" and apply it to "_a watched phone never rings_". It was driving her absolutely insane. He had said he would call around noon right? In her prone state of dishevelment had she heard him wrong?

_Don't worry about it Mandy, he'll call, he wouldn't lie to you, not after yesterday_.

She tried to convince herself that nothing was wrong as she glanced up at the clock on her wall that read 1:15. Ponda had climbed up into her lap on the couch, Mingo was lounging beside her and they demanded attention. She felt bad because she couldn't give her kitties the affection they desired, she was in too much of a tizzy.

Finally the silence was pierced by the loud shrill ring of her phone. She jumped so hard it frightened her cats and they bolted from their places, Ponda scratching her as he fled. She didn't notice the slight stinging in her thigh as she lunged for the phone and almost hung up on the caller trying to get a firm grip on the receiver.

"Hello?" she said in a voice she swiftly cringed at, she sounded too desperate she thought.

"Mandy?" she heard the voice on the other end say. Her heart sank, it wasn't Nick.

"Hey Hodges, what seems to be the occasion?" she said letting the disappointment roll off of her words candidly not caring if he heard it.

"Nothing much, I just thought I'd let you know," he said letting his words trail off.

"Let me know what?" she felt annoyed now, what the hell did he want?

"Nick won't be coming over today, he's, _indisposed_."

She heard the delight in his voice that he was trying so hard to restrain.

She seethed.

"And what makes you think he was going to?" she asked, she wasn't going to play into it that easily.

"Well, let's just say I have my ways, I _see things_ I suppose" he said in that "_I'm so brilliant because I'm me_" tone he was so great at.

That little bastard! He was spying on them!

The color in her face drained, this could go very bad very quickly.

"Well what's keeping Nick then all knowing one?" she asked, her voice acrid with sarcasm.

"A lady actually," he paused, "don't worry she's a dead one." She heard him snigger; she guessed he thought his little office humor was funny. She was on the brink of letting him know how funny it wasn't.

"He was called in early, day shift is lacking as usual and he had to "_come to the rescue_" so to speak, imagine that, _anyway_, as it would happen I was in the lab to do a little catch up work and I ran into him, he told me to tell you."

She didn't really know what to make of that. She highly doubted that Nick would ever ask another man to tell her that he wouldn't be making an appearance, let alone Hodges. But on another note, he really should have called her.

"Well thanks Hodges for the thought, but in the future, let me and Nick handle our affairs shall we?" she was trying her best not to unleash on the nosey little prick.

She really tried to like him, she had always thought he was sort of underappreciated, looked over. He did have his good points every now and then, but nowadays, he was like a tick, and he'd grown too fat and was ready to be popped.

"Just looking out for you Mandy, you know that, I don't understand why you don't see it that way." He sounded genuinely beguiled that she would shun his "_help_".

"Hodges, please, for both our sakes, just stick to what you know and leave my love life out of the mix."

She didn't allow him the chance to retort as she swiftly hung up the phone. She felt relieved anyway, at least Nick wasn't standing her up for something other than work. Although she felt her chest tighten at the thought that he hadn't bothered to call her to tell her what he was up to. It was slightly on the rude side. But just then she thought she shouldn't have put herself on some sort of pedestal thinking that she was entitled to an update whenever the wind changed direction.

She was in a weird place; she didn't know where she stood with Nick Stokes. She knew where they stood _physically_ at least. With that thought the color rose in her cheeks. But as far as phone calls and pleasantries alike, she was walking blind. As excited as Nick made her, he was equal in his measures of confusion. She decided to go into work early as well, dreading Hodges, but needing to escape the silence of her house.

She fed her cats and then after a quick once over in the hall mirror, she left for the lab.

--

Sure enough, Nick was out on a routine 419, well as far as murders were concerned anyhow. Hodges had surprisingly kept his distance from her. She was embarrassed to think that he had seen the intimate interaction between her and Nick. She didn't want to look at him because she felt dirty thinking about Hodges knowing such a thing.

It was about 6 o'clock when the rest of the night shift team began to arrive. She watched them all walk past her in the dimly lit lab as they went on about the day's events, handed out paper slips with assignments and then split off in their separate ways. She felt a little left out, like they were all in on some secret that she couldn't know. Then she smiled to herself thinking about the one she knew that none of them did.

Her steady night in the lab was about to come to an end when finally her cell phone vibrated in her lab coat pocket. For a split second she wondered who it could be before she remembered it could be him and flipped the phone open.

"Mandy Webster," she said in her professional phone voice.

"Hey beautiful." His molasses accent drifted through the phone speaker and made the hairs on her neck stand up.

"Well well, look who decided to call." She said. She didn't want to seem too desperate; remembering how she sounded earlier that day when she picked up thinking it was him.

"I know, I should have called, every time I would get a moment alone to properly talk to you someone would need me for something. I didn't want to call you and not give you the attention you deserved." He was such a charmer she thought. That man could probably spin lies like Egyptian cotton and she would happily wrap herself up in them.

"You're forgiven, so, what's the game plan?" she asked.

"Well I figured we could have a night in?" he was half asking, half suggesting. She could tell he was trying not to over step his boundaries.

"Oh really? And what would we do pray tell?" she replied in a playful voice, letting him know that he was safe to continue.

"I figured we'd go back to your place, watch a movie or two, get to know each other a bit more."

She could only imagine what his version of "_getting to know each other_" was. And just then she did.

She could almost feel his large rough hand caressing her soft face. See his mouth tasting her neck, licking and biting her here and there. Letting her head roll back as he worked that mouth down and down and…

"Mandy?"

She snapped out of it.

"Uh yeah, that actually sounds pretty good to me, you can follow me home after shift." She was trying to mask the quiver in her voice.

"No need, I know where you live, I'll meet you there in about an hour and a half is that ok?"

He knew where she lived? Her brows furrowed silently.

Well duh, he could have Map Quested her she thought. Nothing wrong with that, and it would give her time to prepare. Pick up here and there, throw on something a little more _comfortable_ and make sure she looked decent for their night/morning of "_getting to know each other_".

"Ok then, it's set, I'll see you then Nick." She was grinning like a little girl.

"I'll see you too." He said. Then she heard the receiver on his end click and she folded her phone into her lab coat pocket.

Her smile threatened to crack her face open. She was in a rush now. She wanted to get home as soon as possible. She would get to see him outside of the lab and away from other people. For a moment she panicked thinking that she wasn't ready for this, but then she all but slapped herself in the face. She was as ready as any woman could be with the knowledge that Nick Stokes was about to pay a house visit. She could just imagine him filling her doorway with his broad muscular shoulders, wearing tight blue jeans, a clingy cotton t-shirt and that absolutely amazing smile that made her want to pull her hair out.

She just hoped he was as eager for her as she was for him. The way he had begged to touch her the night before had played over in her head a million times. This would be a night to remember, hopefully for the both of them.


	8. The Seed Of Doubt

He hated having secrets. It was the most annoying thing in the world to be trying to do something only to have someone hold you up and not be able to tell them you had something more important to do. Case and point, Grissom decided that he needed Nick to come pick up collected evidence from his and Catherine's scene, give them some new supplies, and then drop off the evidence back at the lab.

Apparently their crime scene was covered in blood that could have been from any and all of the five bodies lying around a back alley behind a church. There was so much evidence to collect that they were running out of supplies and needed to be replenished.

Nick grumbled to himself and cursed inaudibly as he drove to the scene. It wasn't like he could just say, "_sorry Gil, I'm on my way to Mandy Webster's house to get a little TLC and you're kinda throwing a wrench in things_." He was going to be late and after the no call no show he pulled today, that would make him look no better in front of her.

Back at the lab finally he tried his best to keep a swift but subtle pace as he carried the cardboard box full of blood, hair, fibers, and all sorts of ungodly samples to the evidence locker. He was already fifteen minutes late as it was; it was going to take that long to get to her house. He guessed that his face told his story of hurried frustration because no one was saying "_hey Nicky_!" or "_what are you still doing here?_" they all just glanced at him and then averted their eyes. Smart on their part.

After finally locking away the surplus evidence, Nick sighed with relief and headed back out of the lab to his car, only to be stopped yet again.

This time by Hodges.

"Hodges, man, I'm not trying to be rude but I really have some place to be so…" he cut him off before Hodges could even speak, trying to push past him.

But Hodges stood still.

"I know where you "_must_" be Stokes; I would actually like to have a quick chat about just that." Hodges stared into Nick's eyes unwavering.

_This guy has brass damn balls_, Nick thought to himself.

"Oh? What exactly would you have to say on a subject that's none of your business?" Nick accepted his challenge and faced him, standing up a little straighter and squaring his shoulders.

"I have a lot to say actually," Hodges spoke in a matter of fact tone, "although who I might say it to after we converse is up to you."

Nick furrowed his brows. That was a direct threat. A threat to tell whatever it was he _thought_ he knew to someone he didn't want hearing it.

With that Hodges calmly walked into one of the empty labs and Nick reluctantly followed.

"Ok, Hodges," Nick put emphasis on his name, "what is it that you wanted to say, and you better be careful about what it is that actually comes out of your mouth."

Hodges acted like Nick didn't intimidate him, when in all actuality he was surprised he hadn't cracked yet. Hodges knew who was the stronger of the two.

"Only this, Mandy is something special, she's something that I don't think you deserve, she's above and beyond you Nick, and I think you should stay away from her." Hodges actually braced himself for a blow to the face.

But Nick just stood there; his jaw was flexing and his eyes darkening like storm clouds.

"First, Mandy isn't a "_something_" she's a someone, someone that I care about dearly, and second, who the hell do you think you are acting as if you can decide something like that, who she should and shouldn't be with?" Nick was trying to control his volume.

"I think I'm someone who's noticed her for far longer than you have. Noticed her for who she was before noticing how she looked, appreciated her for quite some time. I didn't happen upon her one day and decide, "_hey, she's hot and I haven't messed with her yet, let's give her a go_", she's not a car Nick, she's a person, and after you do to her what you will no doubt do, as you always have, you can't just _not_ call her the next day."

Nick was astonished.

Hodges really felt that way? He thought of Nick as some two bit player, he didn't know about the feelings that Nick was developing at a rapid pace for their shared print tech. But Nick had indeed felt doubt a few times where she was concerned. Doubt that he was even worthy of her, doubt about where they would go in this relationship that had hardly had time to start, to grow.

He hated to admit it, but Hodges wasn't completely out of line. But he would be damned if he let him know it.

"Listen you worthless lab rat, you don't know me, you don't know her, and you damn sure don't know a thing about what we have or what I can give her. Keep your fucking mouth shut and your brown nose out of this or so help me I'll break that beak of yours off and shove it in a place you didn't know you had."

Nick's face was livid with expression. He had began to inch closer and closer to Hodges during his little melt down and was now almost nose to nose with him. Hodges had stood his ground even though he wanted to back up into the wall behind them. He had never seen Nick so furious and was scared that he had indeed overstepped a boundary. All he could hope for was that he would keep this to himself and not tell Mandy.

Even though Hodges wasn't showing it, his anger was ringing loud and clear in his mind, he was just as furious. He wanted to march out of the lab room and straight into Ecklie's office and recount what he had seen just the night before. The only thing stopping him was that it would probably cost Mandy her job even if it did split them up and drastically effect Nick's good standing in the lab.

He clenched his jaw and let Nick storm out of the room glad that he had indeed not suffered a punch. He was going to her house now, going there to do God knew what with Mandy Webster, though he had a pretty good idea. All he could hope was that he had planted the seed of doubt in Nick; the seed that would make him question his worthiness, his loyalty, and question if he really wanted to go any farther with her. He hoped that it would germinate and get in the way of their relationship, causing mistrust and hopefully result in him hurting her. He would willingly help him hurt her if it proved his point, proved him right. In the end she would trust him and he would be the victor. But at what costs he didn't know.


	9. House Call

Mandy was scurrying around the house picking up things and moving objects that really didn't need to be moved. Her cats Mingo and Ponda where sitting on bar stools next to her kitchen island watching her walk back and forth as she cleaned her already clean house.

She was driving herself mad. Where was he? She could only rearrange the pillows on her couch so many times before she just wanted to burn them.

_He should be here by now_, she thought, the statement had run through her head over a million times.

She really hoped that he wouldn't make leaving her in the dark a habit. Her nerves were shot. She'd already changed her clothes at least five times. Finally she settled on a form fitting cotton t-shirt and a pair of black Capri pants complete with bare feet. She had indeed decided to take her own advice and wear something a little more comfortable. She didn't want him to think her desperate, or too willing.

_Too late_, she thought, _especially after that wanton display in the lab_.

Every time she thought of it her cheeks would flush. Her skin would burn in the places he had touched her, and her lips seemed to feel a little swollen.

After pushing some knick knacks around her entertainment center, the doorbell finally rang. The chime was soft but it jolted her, she had been expecting it so badly that the sound seemed amplified ten fold.

"Coming!" she shouted as she scurried to the door. Stopping right before she opened it she took a deep breath and shook the nerves away.

Sure enough, he stood there filling her doorway with his wide shoulders, hands buried in the pockets of his tight fitting jeans, but his smile seemed off. He was grinning alright, from ear to ear, but it seemed forced. She didn't know what to make of it at first, but decided there were more important things to consider, like the fact that he showed up, and that she should probably invite him in.

"Well look who it is," she said jokingly, as if she hadn't been anticipating his arrival for quite some time.

"The one and only." He said, that beautiful smile unwavering on his handsome face.

She stepped aside and with long graceful strides, he entered her house.

_No going back now_, she thought to herself as she closed and locked her front door.

--

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked after she led him to her plush cream colored couch.

"Actually," he spoke over his shoulder to her, "I think I'm good for now, why don't you come over here and sit with me?"

She paused. She wasn't expecting him to be so forward, especially after only arriving minutes earlier. But she didn't dare question him, so pushing her doubts aside; she complied and walked to the couch where he sat.

"Sit down I wont bite." He said playfully, teeth flashing in that all too familiar grin.

She slid onto the couch next to him throwing her arm across the back. They regarded one another for a moment. Mandy's stomach was in knots. She didn't know what he would do, if he did anything, and at this rate she didn't think he would. He studied her for what seemed like ages before finally reaching out a large hand and placing it on the side of her face. She closed her eyes at the feel of his touch. It was warm and wonderful, like a drug that lulled her into some sleepy stupor.

She felt him inch closer to her as his thumb gently stroked the smooth skin of her cheek. She opened her eyes to see him just inches away from her. It was a moment they hadn't shared before, something new. She seemed to be having a lot of those new moments with Nick. He didn't have lust or carnal desire in those dark brown eyes; it was something she hadn't seen before. She would dare to call it, adoration, or maybe compassion; she couldn't put her finger on it.

All she knew was that it made her feel like a magnet was pulling her toward Nick Stokes, and she didn't care to resist it. She leaned into him, and this time, she seized his mouth with hers. She couldn't take it any longer, she had to have him. She threw her arms around his neck and practically lunged at him pushing him back on the couch. He didn't seem to mind because he gripped her by her hips with his large powerful hands as he deepened the kiss.

She had never been the aggressor, she was usually too overcome with his presence to think clearly, but this she could get use to. Having his strong hard body under her made her skin burn. Her hands moving on auto pilot by this time found their way under his black cotton t shirt. She wanted to feel him, every taut smooth inch of his perfectly toned body. She had spent so many hours wondering what he would feel like under those almost too snug clothes.

She let her fingers trace the outlines of his stomach muscles; her nails grazed his heated skin. Everywhere her fingertips touched his muscles would contract as if her touches sent electricity through him. One of his hands pulled her hair from her pony tail and threaded his fingers through it, pressing her mouth into his almost painfully now. He wanted to devour her. She tasted so sweet, so soft. Her kisses alone were almost enough to send him over the edge. They could lie on her couch for hours just kissing and it would have been fine by him.

To his dismay she broke their embrace and looked him in the eye, the messages she sent him were loud and clear. She was tired of waiting, tired of the frustration, tired of holding back, she was almost to her breaking point, and he knew the feeling all to well.

She moved down him until her sweet swollen mouth was hovering above his navel. His fingers were still tangled in her hair as she peeled his shirt up exposing the bare skin of his stomach. Then with a darting tongue she licked him just above his pant line. The warmth of her breath and the feel of her wet tongue on his skin proved almost too much for him. His head fell back and his eyes closed as he sucked air through tightly clenched teeth. His jaw began to flex as she then proceeded to lick his hard stomach in long slow strokes.

He had never in all his time knowing Mandy Webster thought he would be here now, feeling her warm wet mouth on his bare skin, so dangerously close to a part of him that was straining for freedom. She too never thought that she would taste the salty smooth flesh of the most coveted man in the lab, hell the most coveted man in half of Las Vegas, on _her_ very couch. She heard him moan, reveling in the thought that she was the one turning him into a puddle this time.

She then decided it was time to get to the matter at hand. With one hand she popped the button to his blue jeans, and almost as quickly as she had unbuttoned his pants his head snapped up startling her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, distress woven into his words.

"What's it look like?" she replied, confusion in hers.

"No," was all he said as he sat up and pulled her up with him.

She didn't understand. Had she done something wrong? Panic was setting off alarms in her head.

"But, why, what did I do?" she asked almost on the verge of tears.

The worried look that inhabited his face moments before was replaced by a more serious one.

"You didn't do anything," he let out a sigh, "trust me, I'd love nothing more than…" he trailed off.

"I don't want you to think that this is all I want from you," he spoke; his words were dripping with guilt.

_Where did that come from? _She thought. She desperately tried to remember if there was anything she had said that made him think she figured that was all he wanted.

"It's nothing you've done Mandy, trust me, you could do no wrong in my book." He smiled, trying to ease her panic.

"Then what?" she asked, grasping for an answer.

"I did some thinking on the way over, actually, I've been thinking for a while now, and I just don't want you to think I'm trying to use you," he paused, "well, that is, I know what some of the people in the lab think of me when it comes to…women," he stopped and averted his gaze.

"People think I'm a player, or, some sort of un-dateable relationship bad luck charm." He seemed ashamed.

She felt relief in a way. She had thought for sure that she had done something to screw this entire evening to hell. All she would have to do is tell him that she wanted this as much as she knew he did, and then they could get back to the evenings previous activities. Or so she hoped.

"Nick, I don't know who put that into your head, and even if some jerk offs at the lab think that, who's the one here with you now?" He was holding her hands in his.

He smiled. This time it was genuine. She wondered what had happened before he came to her house. He had been considerably late; she hoped no one had said anything to him to make him feel this way.

"I want you, as much as, if not more than you want me, don't feel guilty, I know you aren't using me." she had begun to inch closer to him while she spoke.

She figured that the time for hesitation had finally, without a doubt, passed. As she looked into Nick's eyes, this time she _did_ see passion and desire. It made her tingle. He told the voice in his head that sounded an awful lot like Hodges to fuck himself. He didn't want to wait any longer. He knew his intentions toward Mandy were honorable.

Choosing not to let his mind do the thinking, he turned the controls over to his body. He moved forward this time, laying her back on the couch, trapping her under him as his hands slid down her body. He hooked his thumbs under the waistband of her pants and eased them down her hips working them slowly over her milky skin. She was gripping the couch cushion so hard her knuckles were turning white. He could see her apprehensiveness at his movement. He would make damn sure she would be use to being undressed by him when all was said and done. Finally sliding the final leg of her bottoms over one dainty foot he flung the clothing across the room to some unknown resting place.

He kept his eyes on hers, letting her grow accustomed to being in such a state with him. He'd been with many women in the past, but none had displayed such genuine timid innocence as Mandy. It drove him insane, he wanted to ravage her, but he knew that the things he could, and most certainly would do to her would have to wait, for now, he would be careful, gentle, loving. He wanted to stay true to his word. He wanted her to be different. Supporting his weight with one strong flexing arm, he finished what she started and slid the zipper of his jeans down and pulled them down to his knees.

After kicking them off, he pulled his t shirt up over his head and sent it flying across the room as well. Sitting there on his knees he looked down at her, she was propped up on her elbows; her hair was falling over her shoulders framing her soft round face. Her knees had instantly shut when he sat up. He watched her as she looked him over now. He could feel her eyes roaming him, but the time for looking would have to wait. He grasped her slender hands and placed them on his hips, coaxing her to remove the last barrier between them. She could see his rather, _prominent_, for lack of a better word, arousal through his boxers, and tried not to stare _too_ hard.

Finally after removing the material she tore her gaze up and locked eyes with him. It was only a moment later that he leaned into her, spreading her knees apart, placing his hands on either side of her head. Without warning or guidance, he slid into her with perfect ease. Her eyes flew wide as he gritted his teeth and growled in his throat. He gripped the arm of the couch for leverage as he slid out and back in again. His body was arched over hers as her legs wrapped around his waist. She snaked her fingers around the back of his neck and tugged him down to her, their mouths met as he began to piston her into a world of pleasure she didn't know existed.

Sex may be enjoyable yes, but when it was with someone you desired and craved above all things, it became something else, and it was mind blowing. Mandy found herself holding on to him for dear life as their pace quickened. He restrained himself, controlling the urge to release. He didn't want their first time to be a short one, though his will power was being tested to its limit. She felt so good, smelled so sweet, tasted so perfect, he could hardly focus. It was all he could do to keep from slamming her hard and fast.

Finally after what seemed like ages of restraint, he could stand it no longer and he quickened his speed. Rocking her back and forth she began to make noises of desperation. Her nails were dragging down his back as he moved faster and faster. Finally he buried his head in her shoulder and let out a guttural curse as he emptied everything he was into Mandy Webster. She cried out in almost perfect unison as her nails dug deep into his shoulder blades and she clenched around him.

Waves of heat crashed over them both.

Finally after their muscles relaxed, he collapsed on top of her. He wanted to go to sleep just then, buried inside her to the hilt. He could stay this way forever. Their breathing slowed as the buzzing in their veins ebbed. Finally forcing himself to sit up, he surveyed her flushed face. She was beautiful, her hair falling wildly around her naturally beautiful features. He kissed her then, not a kiss of hunger or fever, but a soft subtle touching of lips.

They smiled at one another. How could he ever think he was using her? It was only a matter of time before they found themselves tangled in each other yet again.

They indeed were getting to know each other.


	10. Out Of the Gate

She supposed that this was what flying felt like. Not like in a plane or hang glider or something of the like, but lifting off into the air and soaring above the clouds with her arms reaching out in front of her. Being with Nick was like standing up too fast, feeling light headed and dizzy, a shortness of breath and slightly blurry vision. She couldn't put one particular analogy with the feeling Nick gave her, so she decided to stop trying and just let it be what it was.

It was annoyingly bright outside, after spending hours in a dimly lit bedroom the light offended her. She held her hand up over her eyes and squinted, the fresh air was short lived and she retreated back into her house and swiftly drew the curtain over her sliding glass back door.

Goosebumps rose on her bare arms and legs as the cold air inside the house slid over her sun-warmed skin. She shivered and decided it was time to put some sort of clothing on other than a tank top and her underwear. She turned to walk back to her room when her eyes halted on a most beautiful site. Nick was standing, completely naked, in her kitchen making something to eat. She didn't care what because whatever it was couldn't be more delicious than he was.

His back was to her, and at that moment a tiny memory of watching him shirtless in the locker room floated across her mind. The muscles in his back were flexing and moving with every motion, down and down, but instead of disappearing into a pair of tight jeans, they turned gently into his smooth taught behind where her eyes shamefully lingered a moment longer, then into the strong, lean muscles of his powerful legs dusted with dark hair. She shook her head thinking he should have been a model and then thanking God he wasn't.

He felt her watching him and turned his head to look over his shoulder at her.

"Take your clothes off then come over here and finish this so I can stand there staring at you and not help." He turned back around and even though she couldn't see his face she knew he was smiling.

She walked over to the counter and took her place beside him. He was dicing green bell peppers. The cutting board already contained finely chopped onions and tomatoes; there beside him was a bowl full of beaten eggs. He was making omelets. He was smart, funny, drop dead handsome, and to top it off, he made breakfast in the nude, Mandy felt it was the first time she had hit the jackpot since coming to Vegas.

He stopped the chopping and captured her mouth in his. It never seemed to fail, every time he kissed her, here senses were like a compass in a magnet field, he sent her spinning.

After their long and luxurious good morning kiss, she pulled out a generous sized pan and set it on the stove. The entire omelet making process turned into an ordeal consisting of tickling and a mini food fight, but after it was all said and done, they were both stuffed and retreated back to Mandy Webster's bedroom to fall into a food coma.

_This truly is bliss_; Mandy thought to herself as she slipped back to sleep in the crook of Nick Stokes' arm listening to his gentle breathing and the rhythmic beat of his heart.

--

Nick stared at the ceiling of Mandy's bedroom. Only small beams of light filtered through her dark burgundy curtains as he twirled a tendril of her dark brown hair around a long finger. So much had happened, so much in such a small amount of time. A few times he felt panic, not knowing what to make of the flood of emotion that seemed to wash over him every time he saw her, or God forbid someone mentioned her name. It scared him, excited him, it did things to him that for a long time he wasn't sure he liked.

He found that he certainly liked it all now.

He smiled to himself; Mandy was already fast asleep snuggled up to him in the warmth of her bed. He'd cooked breakfast before for some of the women he had been with, some of them liked it, most of them were offended that even after he had done intimate things to them, that he would have the "_audacity_" to go through their kitchens, and the others were just truly ungrateful. But Mandy, she was different as usual, he would dare to guess that no one save for her mother had ever attempted to cook for her, he was confident that any gesture he made no matter how small would never be lost on her.

This was what it was supposed to feel like, relaxed and comfortable, no awkward pauses and glances in the morning, no need to explain anything, no sudden realization that he didn't really know the person he had spent the night with. He knew her, and he had done his best to make sure that she knew him. But while it was all good and well that they knew one another, he still had a shadowy area of doubt, doubt about everyone else knowing them. What would people say? What would people do? Would there be anything for anyone to say or do anyway? What business was it of theirs anyway?

As much as he wanted to say who cares and shrug it off, it nagged at him on the inside. Things were great now, but what if by some unfortunate and unforeseen chance something happened between them, CSI was his life, and he was sure that it was hers too. Everyone would blame him for anything that may or may not happen, people would hate him, if they didn't already for preconceived notions that he was going hurt her regardless because of a reputation that he really hadn't known preceded him. Hodges popped into his head at that thought. He really hated that conniving bastard.

But what if everyone felt that way about him, and he was just the only one who had the balls to say it to his face? He hated caring so much about what people thought. He was desperately trying not to doom their relationship before it even made it out of the gate. But would other people do it for him? Would Hodges? What if he got to Mandy, what if his venom like words got to her and she thought of him as a two bit player? The thought was killing him. Before he could finish that thought Mandy sat up and looked at him with concern.

"You're grinding your teeth," she said softly. He hadn't noticed that in his dwelling he was indeed grinding his teeth, and loudly. His jaw flexed.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you up," he said staring down into her brown eyes. Her hair was a tangled mess around her soft face. He couldn't help but smile.

"I know what you're thinking about," she said and he furrowed his brow, "you're thinking "_what about work_", believe me; the thought has crossed my mind too." His gaze urged her to continue.

"I've been worried that some of the other techs like Wendy will think I'm sleeping with you to get ahead, maybe to try and jump the gap Greg had to traverse to be a field CSI or something even thought I'd never want to do field work no offense," she smiled.

"None taken." He returned the expression.

"Or maybe that I'm "_that girl_", ya know, the one who sleeps with every guy at work or something, or that I feel like I should be treated different because I'm with you."

He almost felt like his worries were nothing compared to hers.

"Not to mention how jealous some of the others may be, I mean, not that you are all they think about or something, I mean, not that your aren't desirable because you know I think you are, but, you know what I mean." They smiled again.

"I see what you're saying, and honestly I didn't really think about it like." He truthfully hadn't.

That was just one more thing on the list of things he was learning lately, trying to think of someone else other than himself. He wasn't selfish by any means, but he was so use to being alone and holding out little to no hope of something solid forming from his sporadic trysts, that he had almost forgotten what it was like to put himself in the shoes of someone he cared about.

"How's about we just keep us a secret for now," she said, "just us, something that's ours and no one else's." She grinned, all the while tracing lines across his chest.

"I like that," he said as he rolled toward her and covered her mouth with his beginning the previous night's activities all over again.

He didn't have the heart to tell her that someone already knew, someone who already seemed to have some sort of window into her life. He tried his best to push the thought that right now that someone may be telling Grissom and God knew who else about what he saw far into the back of his mind. He tried hard to focus on how good Mandy felt underneath him. He wouldn't tell her, he would keep it to himself and deal with it later he figured, all the while not knowing that Mandy knew full well about Hodges. She too was pushing similar thoughts out of her head.


	11. Tattle Tale

"Are you serious?!" Nick shouted. Grissom's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean _am I serious_, why would I joke about something like this?"

Nick stood in his supervisor's office with his jaw literally dropped and a look of anger mixed with shock washing over his face. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _That sanctimonious little prick,_ was all Nick's mind kept repeating in loop until he finally closed his mouth and started grinding his teeth.

"Grissom you know that kiss ass will do anything no matter who it hurts to get ahead in this lab, that spineless lab rat has nothing better to do all day except find ways to make you notice him or give him some sort of approval." Nick was trying to choose his words carefully instead of screaming all the wonderful names he really wanted to call Hodges at this point.

Grissom tilted his head to the side the way a dog might when contemplating something.

"First, don't throw the term "_lab rat_" around so lightly, isn't Mandy one?" Nick frowned, _that was beside the point, she was different,_ he thought, "and second, if that's true and he's trying to win my praise, then why would he attack you? He knows I favor you."

Nick stood silent for a moment.

"I dunno, maybe it was a miscalculation on his part." Nick didn't really have an answer to Grissom's question.

"I don't think so Nick, Hodges doesn't really make miscalculations."

Nick's jaw clenched so hard he thought his teeth might break.

"So you're on his side then, is that what you're saying?" Nick was furious, it took all the will power he had in reserve to maintain some sort of composure.

It seemed that directly after Nick left the lab the night before to go to Mandy's, Hodges had made good on his word that he would tell people who needed to know about their display in the print lab. He went directly to Grissom and told him everything, leaving out all the scheming on his part, or the taunting of Nick on his part, or the plotting to sabotage Nick, also on his part.

"I'm not on a side Nick; you know I don't take sides, Hodges is perfectly within his rights to complain about this, but then again I know him and I know that he's not doing this because he's concerned about company policy. And honestly if I was doing what I get paid to do, we wouldn't be sitting in my office discussing this, we would be chatting with Ecklie determining your future."

As if a switch had been flipped, Nick relaxed his shoulders and removed his fingernails from the palms of his clenched fists.

"He didn't already go to Ecklie?" Nick asked with a hint of confusion. He figured that Hodges would have told him and only him first.

"No, he didn't, apparently he has some sort of tact, either that or he's playing a game that's bigger than us both, but honestly, as smart as he may think he is, he's still not smart enough to pull one over on me, so my bet is on the former of the two possibilities."

_Why_, rang in Nick's head. _Why did he stop at Grissom? What was he playing at? Why would he say anything in the first place if he wasn't going to drive the nail home?_

"All this aside Nick, what were you thinking? Why would you do something so dumb in such a place where someone was bound to see you? Even if Miss Webster didn't file a complaint, a display like that could still be constituted as sexual harassment or at the very least providing a hostile work environment for another employee who saw you and was either shocked or offended."

_What was I thinking? _He thought to himself, _I was thinking that I couldn't take it any longer, that I had to taste her, I had to touch her, I had to have my hands on her, my mouth on hers, I had to have her or I would die_. Nick answered Grissom's questions to himself.

"I wasn't thinking Grissom, that's what happens when I'm around her, I can't think, she's so, I dunno, she's so perfect, I couldn't contain myself, I know it was dumb, but, what can I do? She's not going to get in trouble is she?" Nick asked that last question saturated with worry.

"No, the complaint wasn't against her, it was solely against you on the grounds that you initiated the incident and she stopped it, so no, she's in no trouble."

Nick breathed a sigh of relief, he didn't know if Hodges in his anger would try to punish Mandy as well.

"But that brings us to something else," Grissom said, "If her influence over you is that strong, so much so that you would jeopardize yours and hers' careers, then should you be working together?"

Nick's stomach dropped. After last night and the majority of this morning, he couldn't imagine the lab or his life without her. He needed her, just as much as he figured she needed him, but they both needed their jobs as well, and making either of them transfer would kill them both.

"Grissom, I swear to you, on everything that I am it will never happen again, we won't even look at each other unless I have something for her to process, you have my word."

Grissom smiled, "I know I do Nicky and I believe you, but, no one else will. I have to do something to you so that it looks like you're being reprimanded or Hodges might just go to Ecklie after all. You're relationship with her wouldn't have been a problem if you would have kept it outside of the lab, now we all have to walk a fine line because you couldn't hold it together for a few hours until your shift was over, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Nick averted his eyes from his supervisor and nodded. In his mind he was weighing the feeling of Mandy's skin under his hands against the consequences that may or may not happen. He suddenly felt very stupid in front of the man he admired the most. He continued with the _I'm sorry_ and the, _it wont happen again_ until Grissom finally told him that he needed time to think and that for the time being Nick was to look ashamed and downtrodden, at least in front of Hodges, until he could think of something to do to Nick.

He wanted to pound Hodges' sniveling face in; the urge to break something was becoming more prevalent by the second. But if he wanted to salvage his job and ultimately his and Mandy's relationship, he was going to have to keep his cool. He would finish his shift after telling Mandy about the ordeal, and then after their shift they would disappear into one another and forget about it until the situation reared its ugly head again the next day. And hopefully Grissom would have thought about his punishment so that he could begin to put this whole nerve racking thing behind them.

Or so he hoped

--

Hodges was standing outside of Grissom's office door trying hard to listen to the conversation within and yet not look too conspicuous. He had indeed told like he said he would, but instead of going to Ecklie like he may have done in the past, he kept this between Grissom and himself. If he would have gone to Ecklie then Mandy's job and reputation would have been tarnished, and the last thing he wanted to do was harm her. No, he just wanted Nick to see that he was good on his word, and that he didn't chicken out even though the probability that Nick would burry his fist in Hodges' face was still running around his mind. He hoped with everything he had that this would send a message to Nick to leave her alone. If it didn't, then he would have to employ plan B, and he almost like the sound of that better than if Nick just walked away now.

After Nick's various petty insults, he heard Grissom say that "_he doesn't make miscalculations_" and that ensured a perma-smile on Hodges' face for the remainder of the night. Grissom knew that Hodges wasn't stupid, and that's why he knew Gil would handle this with discretion to ensure that Nick wouldn't be fired or transferred, and hopefully he would come out of this with a new found respect for Hodges that he was always trying to pry from Grissom.

Deep down, Hodges knew that Nick probably wouldn't walk away from Mandy that easily. So as Wendy walked by he caught her attention and began to tell her some things that would set plan B into motion. It was almost too easy.


	12. Cat, Mouse, and Viper

By the time Hodges was done with her, Wendy was blushing so hard she felt as if her face was on fire.

"You're lying to me Hodges, and it's not funny." She said curtly, trying to retain some sort of dignity.

"No, I most certainly am not, he said those things about you I swear it."

The color in her face flushed again.

"Nick wouldn't, he would never say that to you…there's no way, he hates you."

Hodges frowned, he knew it was the truth but jeez did everyone else know?

"Well, no he didn't say it to me and that's what makes it so credible! He said it to Greg and I heard them when I was going to the DNA lab, I just figured you would want to know so I snuck off to come find you." Hodges was beaming now; he knew she was eating everything he spoon fed her like a charm.

Wendy Sims, like most of the females in the lab, seemed to display a sickening attraction towards Nick Stokes every time he was near her. It was repulsive in his eyes but he'd deducted that it was something in their DNA that compelled them to act in such a primitive matter around someone so deeply primitive himself.

He's spent the last ten minutes telling her that he'd over heard Nick and Greg talking about who they thought was attractive in the lab, and of course he told her that Nick said Wendy was the most beautiful of them all, but, that he would never have the nerve to ask her out even to a simple cup of coffee, so unless she asked him, he would never make a move. He made sure to guarantee Wendy that there was no way she would be rejected if she just acted like it was casual and nothing more, seeing as how Nick was so shy and all.

His bullshit could win prizes, and he was hoping it would, because if Nick decided to be a bastard and not the nice guy he usually was when friends asked him for a drink after work, then everything he was planning would be shot to hell. He was indeed aware that this plan was in no way foolproof, but it was about all he had left at the moment. Everything else he had tried to devise was slipping through the cracks like water. It was becoming a nuisance.

"So when do you think I should ask him? Tonight? After shift? Do I look ok?" Wendy was working herself into a tizzy. Truly sickening was Nick's effect. Hodges shook his head slightly.

"No not tonight, he might suspect something after just saying it and then _BAM_ there you are. Do it tomorrow, at the start of shift, that way after he's had such a shitty day it'll give him something to look forward to, a drink with his favorite lab tech." At this Hodges shot her a knowing glance.

Wendy blushed yet again and a girlish grin graced her fine features.

"Ya know, people say you're a real douche bag Hodges, and sometimes their right, but you're turning out to be not so bad really."

Hodges just stared at her, taken aback by her blatant comment and before he could respond Wendy stood with a smile, and left the room. Blinking, Hodges decided to focus his energy to more productive things…like praying for his scheme to work.

--

Mandy was devastated. What Nick had told her embarrassed her to no end. How did anyone find out? Nick had told her that Hodges had said nothing, so, who was it?

Her face was so hot she thought she might cry. She was afraid this would happen, she was a very private person, she knew what being involved with Nick might mean, but it was a different thing entirely feeling the exposure. Questions buzzed in her head, _who else knew? Who was saying what about her now? Was she the topic of gossip? Were the other techs going to think her a traitor or something?_

_Don't be silly_, she told herself, _they won't think you're a traitor, just a whore who'll sleep with anyone to get ahead_. Even if Nick wasn't really her boss, everyone knew he was Grissom's favorite next to Sara. And what made it worse; Nick was telling her that they had to act as calmly and professionally as they could at work. That meant no horsing around…period. Staying beyond arms length would be torture.

"Mandy I'm sorry, this is my fault, I shouldn't have put you in such an awkward position." Nick said pleadingly.

At this point Mandy giggled and then Nick smiled.

"You know what I mean, gutter mind, this _career position_." They both smiled at one another. "See it's this kind of thing that has to stop, as much as I don't want it to."

Upon saying his last word he traced a finger down her arm slowly. She closed her eyes and let his touch send shivers over her skin. This was going to be impossible, especially because she knew he would toy with her at work to heighten the anticipation for after.

This was either the worst news ever, or the beginning of a very fun game.

--

Nick hated lying to her. He wanted so badly to tell her that Hodges was the one who ran his mouth, that it was him that was making things so difficult. He wanted her to know so that she would slap him in the face and then Hodges would know for sure that he would never have her as long as Nick lived and breathed. But he also knew that if he did, Hodges really would go to Ecklie and then they really would know what being in deep shit was. It would make his day to fire Nick and replace him with someone else on the sheriff's agenda. It made him livid thinking about it. He shook it off and focused on comforting his newfound lover.

Mandy was so beautiful when she looked concerned. But it hurt him to see her so embarrassed. He knew how much she valued her privacy, he too felt that way even though his private life, real or made up, was the usual topic of conversation. It was what you got when you were a well paid bachelor who's not too shabby looking and works to help people all day.

But he really liked Mandy, he liked her a lot…he supposed he loved her, and he would do anything, including give her up at work so that she had it easy in front of her colleagues. Though he would make it tough for her to ignore. In fact, he was already thinking of things to do to her while they were supposed to be "_cooling off_"; things that he was sure were going to rattle her chains a little.

As he traced his finger down her arm, he smiled a Cheshire smile watching her eyes close and hearing her sigh almost inaudibly. He needed to leave her to work, or they would both be canned for what he was imagining doing to her on the desk they stood beside.

He decided to switch the gears in his brain to other matters, like pondering what bogus excuse for a punishment Grissom was supposed to be cooking up. He decided to dwell on that, and push all the things he would do to Mandy after shift out of his pretty head.


	13. Oh What Tangled Webs

Feeling particularly fidgety, Hodges strode out of the dimly lit room and down to his trace lab. All it would take was Nick saying no, and that would be the end of that try, or worse yet, Nick saying no and God forbid Wendy saying something like "_but Hodges said_". It was a particularly bad disaster waiting to happen, not one of his best moments in his plotting history. The already long list of aggravation seemed to be getting even lengthier.

It was then that he spied his query sitting alone in the corner of her print lab with her hand over her face. Apparently she wasn't in the highest of spirits, and like always, Hodges took this opportunity to work himself into whatever it was, not knowing that he already had in this particular instance.

"Mandy? Are you ok?" he said in a sickly sweet voice of concern.

She looked up slowly and with a stone expression, answered him "Do I look ok?"

"Not particularly no," Hodges said, not taking the hint and pulling up a chair.

She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"What's troubling you?" he asked, he was anticipating with hope that she would say something like "_Nick's a bastard_," or "_Me and Nick aren't working out_." It wasn't likely, but, one could wish.

"Someone's been running their mouth about Nick and me, spreading personal matters around the lab."

Hodges went stone still. _Who_? _When_? He hadn't heard anything, what was she talking about?

"What do you mean? I've heard nothing? Are you sure? Who said that?"

Mandy looked at him with a glimmer of hope.

"Really? You've heard nothing? Cause I figured that since someone snitched to Grissom that they had to have told the whole lab by now and everyone would think I was a, a tart or something." Mandy was babbling at a rapid pace.

"A tart?" he wrinkled his nose.

"Well I didn't want to say whore, I couldn't think of a nicer word."

He shrugged. "Well I know pretty much everything that goes on around this lab, or I hear it anyway, and no one has been saying anything about you least of all that you're…a tart."

Mandy smiled. "Shut up, don't make fun." She nudged his shoulder with her hand.

Instantly his skin was on fire. He'd made her laugh. It had been the first time in a long time. He use to make her laugh on a regular basis, until Nick decided to sink his fangs into her. And as quickly as it came, Hodges' good mood clouded over.

"Who said what to Grissom?" He asked, staring intensely at her.

"Oh, it was nothing, really. Well, actually," Hodges urged her to continue, "someone told Grissom about me and Nick messin' around in the lab that day, and I was just worried that whoever it was that was low enough to say anything in the first place must have told someone else by now."

Hodges looked at her with concern.

"Don't worry, I know it wasn't you, Nick told me so, and he hates you so, if he said you didn't, I believe him." She smiled at him.

"Course not; I wouldn't have told, I mean, what kind of person would that make me?"

He lied just as easily as he had lied to Wendy. But this time it was causing him to feel some sort of foreign feeling…he figured it had to be guilt, or shame, or maybe it was a cold mixture of the two.

She smiled again, "I know you wouldn't, even though you hate Nick, even though you were so adamant about us not being together, I know in the end you wouldn't do that to me, because, Nick makes me so, so happy. This is the happiest I've been in a long time."

It was then that Hodges really didn't want Wendy to ask Nick out, he didn't want the rest of his plan after that to unfold, but what would he tell Wendy?

"_Hey Wendy, about all that stuff I said about Nick and you, well, that was all a ball faced lie to use you in a scheme to fuck up the girl I'm infatuated with's love life so that I'd be the shoulder for her to cry on, sorry, no hard feelings_?"

He was going to stay the course because in his reasoning, if Nick and Mandy were meant to be, then nothing should stand in their way. His slight pang of remorse was quickly quelled.

--

Wendy found that she couldn't wait until the next day to ask Nick for a drink. She was excited about the news Hodges had told her. Who knew that the hottest guy in the lab had a secret crush on her? Around the lab Nick was like a rock star as far as the ladies were concerned. It wasn't that she actually knew him per say, or that she in all reality liked him for his personality, even though what she saw and heard was an excellent testament, it was more that he was a very attractive, smart, and funny guy, and she was very painfully single. What harm would it do to see where things went?

She was smiling, wondering when she would "_run into him_" and ask him. First she had to find Mandy and tell her what was going on. Both she and Mandy had a thing for him, but this was like a dream for them both, she had to tell her, if only to gloat a little bit.

"Hey!" Wendy said with exuding enthusiasm.

Mandy looked up from her work and smiled at the black haired woman as she entered the print lab.

"Hey there smiley, what's going on?"

Wendy took her place at Mandy's side and started riffling through papers.

"Well, it just so happens that I have some really awesome news!" Wendy beamed.

"Really? Do tell." Wendy had her full attention; she could use some good news.

"I heard from a little birdie that someone has a crush on me and that all I have to do is ask him out and we may be on the fast track to something, _more_, so to speak." Wendy waited on Mandy to guess.

"Really? Who is it?" Mandy wasn't playing along.

"Guess!"

Mandy thought for a moment. "Greg?" Wendy shook her head no, though Greg wasn't a bad choice. "Ok then, Archie?" Wendy shook her head again, another not so bad choice.

"Ok…let's see, hmm, Hodges?" At his name Wendy's nose snarled and Mandy giggled. "Ok ok, Warrick?" Again, another not bad choice, but Wendy was growing tired of her trying to guess.

"You're horrible at this, ok I'll tell you," Mandy cocked her head in curiosity, she couldn't think of who would say something like that about her and Wendy actually be happy about it.

"Nick Stokes!" Wendy squealed.

Mandy's face dropped like a ton of bricks. She felt a cold chill run down her spine and for a second, her ears began to ring.

"Who did you hear that from?" she snapped more than asked.

"Whoa, jealous much?" Wendy joked.

Mandy decided that containing her composure would be the best thing at this point. If what Hodges said was true, then she didn't need to blow her cover by acting overly protective of Nick, she needed to act just the same, even if she wanted to throw it in Wendy's face that she was already with him, and that she was deluded to think he would ever want her over Mandy.

"Anyway, my source, who's a very reliable one at that, told me and I'm going to ask him to have drinks with me tonight after shift! Isn't this exciting!?" Wendy was beaming again.

"Yeah," Mandy said with painted happiness, "that's really cool; you'll have to tell me how that goes." She faked the best smile she could.

"Trust me I will, I know you'll wanna hear every detail." And with that, Wendy left the print lab too soon to see Mandy break the small glass vial she was holding and cut herself.

--

Bobby Dawson was on his way to the print lab to see how Mandy was fairing after their last conversation. Greg had decided to fire his own bullets and Bobby took the chance to take a break. He almost called out to Wendy as she walked down the hall but she'd ducked into the print lab as well. He would just say hello to them both he supposed. As he neared the doorway he caught a name that made him stop. Nick Stokes. He didn't want to interrupt this conversation, and even though he was brought up to know better, he decided to listen.

He'd hoped that what he was hearing Wendy tell Mandy wasn't true, and could only imagine what Mandy was feeling as Wendy beamed and giggled. He knew Mandy wouldn't tell her otherwise, and he prayed that his previous statements about Nick held true. For Mandy's and Nick's sakes. Wendy left the lab so enthralled in happiness that she didn't even give Bobby a glance as she walked out the door away from him. It was then that he heard a tiny shatter of glass and Mandy exclaim "Ouch!" Bobby swiftly entered the lab and saw that Mandy's right hand was bleeding through her glove. He quickly pulled the hem of his coat up and pressed it to her hand.

"Bobby, what are you doing here? Not that I'm not grateful." Mandy asked, he could see tears welling up in her eyes, but weather it was from the pain or the bad news, he wouldn't ask.

"I was just coming to see you on my break." He smiled, "Just hold still lemme find something more suitable to put on this and we'll take you to the infirmary."

Mandy smiled at Bobby, the concern on his face made her heart swell a little.

--

Nick was on his way to the DNA lab. He'd waited long enough for Wendy to get the results to him, and since she hadn't paged him all evening about the evidence he'd given her yesterday, he decided to pay her a visit to see what was going on.

"Wendy?" Nick called out softly as he knocked on the glass outside the lab. Wendy popped up from behind one of the tables startling him.

"Jeez woman you scared me." He said with a warm smile putting his hand to his chest.

Wendy grinned.

"Sorry Nick, I, I dropped some papers, actually, they're the papers you're probably coming to get. I'm sorry I didn't have them to you sooner, things have been so busy around here, I see now why Greg wanted out so bad." She joked, noticing she was rambling and trying to put her nerves in check.

"Yeah I figured you may be backed up, that's why I came down here, you've got enough to do without having to chase me down." Wendy thought she might just die right there.

"Well Nick, that's sweet of you, thanks."

Nick reached out to receive the papers Wendy had collected off of the floor. She didn't hand them to him.

"What's the hold up Wendy? Is something wrong?" he asked, his features puzzled.

"No nothings wrong it's just, I wanted to know if you wouldn't mind going to get a drink after shift?" Wendy winced as the words left her mouth, she felt as if her heart stopped. In a moment she would know if she'd gone too far and should have listened to Hodges, or if she'd played her cards right.

Nick stood clueless for a moment. He didn't know how to handle this situation. Usually he would say yes, he loved getting to know his co-workers, he was always asking people to have a drink with him after shift. But this, this was a beast he wasn't really prepared to tackle. He didn't know quite what to say.

"I, I'm sorry I, I shouldn't have asked, I was just wondering cause I'm usually doing nothing and I didn't know, I mean, you're always going out for drinks after shift and I just figured, I mean…" Wendy began to ramble again but this time Nick cut her off by lifting his hand and signaling her to stop.

"No, don't worry, nothing's wrong, I mean, you just caught me off guard is all." He smiled again. This time he was the nervous one. There was no really good way to say no, so he decided to say yes, what harm could it do? They were just friends, and Mandy knew him better than that right?

"Sure, I'd like that, we'll take my truck, and you can tell me what it's like filling Greg's shoes, cause if you ask me, I think I like him better in the field anyway." He jested, trying to cut the tension. Wendy laughed as she handed him the papers.

After he had his results, Nick tried to get a hold of Mandy to tell her what was going on, but could find her nowhere, and with only a few hours left of the shift and him being called back to a scene, it didn't look like she was going to get the message till later.


	14. How Much I Want You

Mandy couldn't understand why exactly she was this upset. She had been on the verge of tears yet again ever since she'd gotten home. Sure she'd cried in the infirmary, but she kept telling herself that it was because of her hand. But even then her hand was a result of her distress, even if she didn't want to tell herself that. She now found herself sitting at her small dinning room table in the dark, staring into nothingness. She knew that this would happen, that even if Nick didn't actually start drama, it followed him like a plague. She'd cried a lot in the infirmary now that she thought about it. And she'd done it in front of Bobby Dawson.

It was embarrassing enough that she would injure herself in such a juvenile way in the first place, but that he was there made it that much worse. He knew that she was crying for more than her injured hand. But he was a gentleman, and didn't once pry. Instead he sat there in silence, never leaving her side, every once in a while reaching out and touching her hand to remind her that he was there for her. In a way it reminded her of Nick, his gentle good nature, and how he cared without expecting anything in return. It was comforting, but at the same time it made her painfully aware that he wasn't the one there beside her, he was God knew where, and she knew who he was there with.

She scolded herself for not trusting him, but even then, trust wasn't the entire issue. During the brief time they had spent together, she was paranoid that whatever they may have for one another was like a glass house, any tiny thing would shatter it, and keeping her relationship with Nick under wraps seemed like it may have been some sort of fail safe, if indeed he wanted to break it off with her, people not knowing would make it that much easier. But she couldn't think like that. Even if it was almost 4:30am and she'd heard not a word from him. The drugs she was given for the wound on her hand that called for four stitches were kicking in. Even as the numb feeling washed through her limbs, she sat at the table. Finally, after holding her head up for too long waiting on a sign of life from Nick Stokes, she put her head down on her arm and rested on the table surface, letting something like sleep take her for what she promised herself would only be a few moments.

--

Nick really wanted to know what was causing all of the ungodly traffic he was wading through. He wanted desperately to get to Mandy but at every turn he seemed to be blocked. His last nerve was on the verge of snapping. It hadn't been enough that Hodges had already been snipping at that nerve with what seemed like dull rusty scissors, Wendy had to pick this time of all times to call him on the fact that he usually didn't turn down a drink. And given the delicate situation he'd been placed in with Hodges running his ass kissing mouth, he couldn't really think of a good excuse at the time to say no. Of course about three hours later he had come up with about fifty. Then add that to the fact that he could find Mandy nowhere to tell her what was happening, nor had she answered her phone the eight times he called, but now, it seemed that every car in Vegas had decided to take the route to Mandy's house.

He'd tried to be as nice and polite with Wendy as he could, she didn't seem to notice that he wasn't really into their conversation even though he participated in it every other sentence or so. Mostly what she spoke about what how she was fairing in the lab, and how she'd gotten to know most everyone accept him, hence, why she asked him. They kept company for about an hour before he informed her that he had to leave, she didn't seem to mind and thanked him for taking the time to spend with her, and he promised her a rain check for another drink.

As he finally pulled up to Mandy's small house he noticed that it was now 5:00am, and all the lights in her house were off. His heart sank, she hadn't waited up for him, and of course he'd not really given her reason to he thought. Quietly he approached her door, finding the key in its usual hiding spot and slipped inside inaudibly. The house was dark indeed. Nick shut and locked the door behind him and stood for a moment letting himself adjust to the darkness. After a moment he began to quietly creep past the open living room to the hall to her room when he noticed a figure slumped over the dining table. He saw it was Mandy, had she fallen asleep waiting on him? The thought made him feel guilty. Silently he crept up next to her and looked over her exhausted form. She was still in her work clothes. He shook his head and with gentle care, bent down and slid an arm under her knees and with the other, supported her shoulders and lifted her from her position. Her head lulled into the crook of his shoulder as he held her sleeping form against his chest. The honeysuckle smell of her hair floated around him and he couldn't help but inhale.

Softly he walked to her bedroom down the hall where he gently placed her in her bed. Not daring to disturb her, he decided to leave her clothes on, opting to take her shoes and socks off at least before covering her with a downy comforter. She stirred slightly and he noticed in the dim light of her room that her right hand was bandaged. He'd not remembered her being injured last time he spoke with her, and figured that whatever had happened was probably part of the reason he was unable to get a hold of her. He studied her for a moment before he left her and silently closed her door behind him. Finding her linen closet he fished out a blanket and a pillow and decided to set up camp on her couch. Removing his own shoes and socks he stretched out on her sofa, letting his feet hang off of one arm and tried to quiet his mind. As he settled in for an uncomfortable night on the couch, he could only think of how much he cared for her, and that tomorrow he was going to tell her everything, including what Hodges had said and done, and hope that she understood about Wendy.

--

She woke with a start, and instantly the pain in her hand made itself known. She winced and examined her bandage with bleary eyes. A small amount of blood had seeped through the gauze as she'd slept. She made a note to change it when she got the chance. Mandy stretched and groaned, feeling stiff all over, the meds had made her sleep hard. She paused then, looking around and realizing that she was in her room, she frowned, she couldn't remember how she'd gotten in bed, or when. Sitting up she rubbed her neck and rolled her shoulders, she figured that in a half drug induced sleep she must have walked herself to her room on autopilot.

Then she remembered and quickly reached over to her nightstand and snatched her phone off of the charger she'd plugged it into the night before. Flipping it open her heart leapt, he'd called! Immediately she checked the voicemail and her heart sank a little, he'd left her no message. She sighed and tossed the phone onto her bed and made her way to the bathroom connected to her room and performed her morning rituals. Ecklie had decided to be human and give her the day off because of her hand, so she showered, mindful of her hand, brushed her teeth, and dressed in a pair of comfy pj's at a slow and leisurely pace. Finally, after feeling refreshed she made her way to the kitchen to feed her cats.

The house was quiet, painfully so. The past few weeks it had been filled with her and Nick's laughter, conversation and other various sounds that she tried very hard not to dwell on. His absence was haunting. She was staring at her feet on the way to the kitchen, she was finding it hard to focus, her hand throbbing and her head threatening the same. Rounding the corner to the kitchen she didn't bother to turn on a light, the sky was overcast and a silvery grey light poured in from her sink windows. She retrieved two cans of cat food and two bowls, but upon popping the first can lid, she noticed that something was missing. Usually her cats were winding around her feet long before now, she looked behind her and just before she called out to them she noticed rather large feet hanging off the end of her simple couch. She blinked making sure she was seeing what she saw, and without putting the can down she walked to the living room and around the couch to see Nick sleeping on his back with her two traitorous cats curled up on his chest and stomach.

They pricked up when they smelled the food in her hand and jumped down waking him. He looked around and then spied Mandy and gave her a once over.

"Is that for me?" he said with a smile, charming as ever.

She was beyond ecstatic that not only had he called, but had stayed with her the night before, but she would be damned if she would let him know it, he had another thing coming. Without saying a word she walked back to the kitchen and finished feeding her cats while he sat up on the couch and rubbed his face trying to wake up.

"Lemme take care of that hand." he said standing up and stretching.

"I can take care of it myself thanks." She said back as blandly as she could manage.

"Be mad at me later, let me take care of it now ok?" he spoke as he walked to her bathroom and retrieved her first aid kit and then sat down at her small dining room table.

She stood in the kitchen staring at the back of his head, contemplating throwing something at him. He then gestured without looking back for her to sit in the seat across from him. She complied.

Sitting across from him they stared at each other for a small eternity. He looked her over, letting his eyes wander over the smooth skin of her chest, the tops of her breasts that disappeared under a lavender tank top, the curve of her face, the way her silky brown hair fell over her shoulders. His eyes were burning her skin; she suddenly wished she'd had more clothes on, or that they were all off. He reached across the table and took her injured hand gently. With care he un-wrapped the bloody gauze and surveyed the damage. It looked rather nasty; of course, most injuries did the next day.

"What did you do?" he asked as he pulled out some cotton swabs and drenched them in antiseptic cleanser.

"I was careless with a glass vial, Bobby helped me to the infirmary and stayed with me, ouch!" she exclaimed as he touched the solution to her cut.

"I'm sorry," he said as he continued to clean the blood from her hand.

"It's ok." She replied.

"No, I'm sorry for a lot of things," he glanced at her before continuing to clean her wound.

"Go on," she said.

He sighed, "Going out with Wendy wasn't my idea, she asked me and I was kind of caught off guard, I couldn't really think of a reason that she would believe for why not off the top of my head so I said yes. I tried to find you, but I guess I know why I couldn't now," he gestured to her hand, "I know you know that I wouldn't do anything with anyone else, especially with someone in the lab, for so many reasons I couldn't explain, but the main one is because," he paused, "I'm yours, and no one else's, and your mine, I don't need anyone else."

Mandy blushed as he looked up at her for her reaction, he smiled and continued to mend her hand.

"Not only am I sorry for that, I'm sorry for keeping some things from you." She frowned at this.

"Hodges has been a bit of a pain in my ass lately, for some reason he thinks I'm not good enough for you, anyway, the other night, ya know, the night that I came over here for the first time," he smiled, she blushed even harder, "he confronted me, and he threatened to tell about what we did in the lab that day, kind of why I've been a little agitated" He squeezed some ointment across her cut and began to unravel some gauze.

"He what?" she could feel her face flushing with color out of anger this time.

"Lemme finish," he said as he cut the gauze, "I told him in not so many words to go fuck himself and wouldn't you know, he told Grissom, and I'm sorry I lied to you, I just didn't want him telling Ecklie because I got him in trouble with you, I don't know what his problem with me is, and I don't know what he thinks you two have, but I can't stand him anymore, not that I could in the first place and I'm tired of it, I'm going to Grissom tonight and telling him everything, because I don't wanna do something I'm going to regret that might get me fired."

Mandy immediately knew who Wendy's "_reliable source_" was. She was so furious she couldn't think straight. Nick gently finished wrapping her hand and tucked the end into a fold of gauze; he then turned her hand over and gently kissed her. Instantly all the anger faded. His touch could do that.

"We'll figure this out, but for now, lets not worry about it. Come on." He stood and took her good hand.

As she stood, instantly Nick went from gentle to aggressive; he pulled her to him and wrapped his arm around her waist, squeezing her soft body against his hard one. His eyes seemed to cloud and turn dark; she found that breathing was becoming a chore.

"I'm going to show you exactly how much I want you," he growled, and she whimpered.

Before she could think, his mouth was covering hers in a hard bruising kiss, her body seemed to go limp as his hands slid over her ass and lifted her effortlessly up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her hands threaded through his hair as their lips and tongues battled for dominance, she was losing.

Without even opening his eyes he walked them both down the hall to her bedroom, but instead of laying her down on the bed, he slammed her against a wall. She let out a cry and Nick took the opportunity to peel her tank top down exposing her breasts. He instantly locked his mouth onto one very aroused nipple. She cried out again as he roughly sucked on her so hard that a little bit of pain mixed with the unadulterated pleasure. Her fingers were tangled in his hair as she pressed him harder and closer to her. With her legs still wrapped around him she began to grind her hips into his, her efforts taking seconds to get the response she wanted. She could feel him prominent and hard through his jeans. He then released her nipple and licked a trail from between her breasts up to her neck where he began to suck again. Her legs were growing tired and she released his hips, he stood her up and then made his way down her body, peeling clothes off and licking her along the way.

As he pulled her pants down her arousal filled his nose. He licked the skin right under her navel and could feel her shake under his tongue. He then stood and before she could understand what was happening he slid two long rough fingers between her legs and inside of her. Her eyes flew wide and her mouth opened in an inaudible scream. He slid his fingers in and out of her stroking her almost to orgasm before he removed them and then slid them into her open mouth. She licked herself off of him and he smiled deviously as he watched. After he was satisfied that she had licked his fingers clean he unbuttoned his jeans and allowed her to pull his length out and stroke him. He closed his eyes and moaned deep and low. Finally he decided he didn't want to play these games any longer and hauled her up against the wall again, this time he wrapped his arms under the backs of her knees and without guidance slid into her with one punishing thrust. Something in him was different, he was usually a gentle lover, but something was clawing its way out of him, something animal, and she liked it.

She shouted as he slammed her against the wall burring himself in her. A twinge of pain shot through her followed by a wave of warmth and pleasure. He kissed her hard, and began to piston into her harder. With inhuman speed he plunged into her and withdrew, driving her to a mind numbing plane of ecstasy she'd never felt before. He pounded her against the wall until both of them were crying out, he buried his head in her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to hold on to something, anything, she felt herself slipping away, she had begun to chant a mantra of "_oh God_" and "_Nick please_".

"Mandy," he breathed, "Mandy I love you." His words made her skin tingle, her eyes squeezed shut, her nails dug into his shoulder and she screamed as she came almost as hard as he was slamming into her.

Nick cursed loudly as he felt her clench around him and finally released into her. They froze, as if time stood still for just a moment. Finally, Mandy remembered how to breathe as Nick, panting, withdrew from her and held her tightly. She felt numb. Nick, who was no longer able to stand, turned and with Mandy in his arms, they fell to the bed. They stayed tangled in each other for hours, kissing and touching each other's face. Every time he told her he loved her, tears threatened to spill from her brown eyes. He had wanted her to know how much he needed her, and she could never doubt it again.


End file.
